Shoes



Nov. 22, 1955 M. GUSTIN SHOES Filed Nov. 8, 1954 MAX Gus 7"//y la/ l www United States Patent O SHOES Max Gustin, New York, N. Y. Application November 8, 1954, Serial No. 467,569

7 Claims. (Cl. 36-2.5)

This invention relates to shoes, and more particularly is concerned with a `shoe in which the insole is free of the heel and also free of at least part of the instep, i. e. the shank, portion of the outsole.

It is an object of my` invention to provide a shoe of the character described which gives the foot greater freedom of movement in walking, makes the shoe seem lighter when worn, enables the beginning of a stride to be taken without noticeable restriction against flexing of the foot, and does not require incorporation of a rigid, i. e. a steel or plastic, shank in the arch. `It is another object of my invention to provide a shoe of the character described which can accommodate itself to feet varying in length by as much as two full sizes.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shoe of the character described which even when first worn, i. e. new, does not cut into a wearers instep and yetis not loose on an idle or active foot.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shoe of the character described whose desirable ability` to accommodate itself to feet of different lengths is in part accomplished by constructing the shoe so as to permit its length from heel to instep to lautomatically vary.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shoe of the character described having relatively few parts and which can be made with less material and labor than conventional shoes.

p It is another object of my invention to provide a shoe of the character described in which the under part of the free flexing portion of the shoe beneath the quarter is in one piece with the quarter in order to prevent wrinkling, creasing or loosening of said under part whereby the under part will maintain a smooth attractive appearance.

Other objects of my invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.`

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be illustrated in the shoe hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

p In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one ofA the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a shoe constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal central sectional view through said shoe; and

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 3 3, 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig.` 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral denotes a shoe embodying my invention. As shown herein the shoe is of the so-called platform type being provided with a wedge heel. However, it is to be understood that this class of heels is illustrated only by way of example and that any other kind of heel, e. g. a cuba-n heel, other than a high heel, e. g. a French or spike heel, can be employed. It should also be noted that pursuant to the present invention, the shank of the outsole should be comparatively broad and hence my invention is not applicable to shoes in which a narrow shank joins the heel to the forepart of the outsole.

N More specifically, the shoe 10 includes a `conventional 2,724,194 Patented Nov. 22, 1955 ICC outsole 12 consisting of a heel portion 14, a shank portion 16 and a fore portion 18. As will be seen from Fig. 5, the shank is quite broad, being about equal in width to the heel portion as is customary in platform shoes.

Arigid wedge heel 20 of standard shape and construction is superimposed on the outsole and extends over the heel portion and shank portion thereof, terminating at the back of the fore portion of the outsole. The contour of the heel matches the contour of the outsole portions over which the heel extends. The shank portion of the heel tapers in a customary fashion to a thin forward edge. Suitable means, e. g. a layer 21 of adhesive secures the heel to the outsole. The exposed surfaces of the heel are suitably covered, for instance, by a leather panel 22. The periphery of the panel is tucked under the edges of the heel and secured, as by adhesive, to the upper surface of the outsole and the under part of the heel.

The shoe upper 24 includes a vamp 26 of any wellknown construction. As shown herein, the vamp constitutes a single piece of supple leather arranged to cover the front part of a foot and a portion of the instep. The edges of the vamp are inturned to overlie the peripheral marginal zone of the fore portion of the outsole and of the front half of the shank of the heel, being secured thereto in any suitable manner, for example, by a layer 27 of adhesive.

The shoe is provided with a llexible insole 28 comprising a fore portion 30, a shank 32 and a heel portion 34. The contour of the insole is substantially coincident with the contour of the outsole and heel. The fore portion 30 of the insole covers and is suitably secured, as by a layer 35 of adhesive, to the fore portion of the outsole and the inturned edges of the vamp. In addition, the front half of the insole shank covers and is secured by the adhesive layer 35 to the front half of the shank. In addition to the adhesive, the insole is positively secured to the heel by a mechanical fastener, as for instance, by a row of tacks 36 running transversely across the heel between the front and rear halves of the shank of the heel. The heads of the tacks lie between the heel and the outsole and their points penetrate the insole and are covered by a stocking pad 38.

The insole heel portion and front half of the insole shank are free of the outsole and heel from the row of tacks rearwardly so that these portions of the insole can llex relative to the outsole and heel.

In further pursuance of my invention, the quarter, and preferably the counter as well, are so constructed as to permit the foregoing free ilexure of the insole to take place and also to permit longitudinal expansion and contraction of the upper from the vamp to the counter. To this end, the rear part of the upper is made from a single piece 40 of a supple material, e. g. soft leather, which is shaped by cutting and stitching in a well-known manner to provide the proper contour and size for the quarter 41 and counter 42. The front edge of the leather piece 40 is secured to the vamp as by stitching 44. The piece 40 extends under the insole heel and shank portions and over the row of tacks. Where said piece overlies the outsole in front of the tacks, it is suitably secured thereto, as by a layer of adhesive.

The quarter and counter are of such size and shape that the shoe upper will accommodate a foot that is somewhat larger, e. g. one half size or one full size larger, than an upper which normally would be used with the same size of insole 28 in a conventional shoe.

The upper edge, i. e. rim of the quarter and counter, is so constructed as to be resilient. For this purpose, said rim is shaped to constitute an integral tubular portion 46 (see Figs. 2 and 3) that extends from one side of the vamp to the other. Contained Within and convcealed yby the tube is an elongated elastic member 48 such for instance as a two-ended rubber band. One end of the band is anchored at an end of the tube, as by the stitching 44, at the rear edge of the vamp on one side thereof and the other end similarly anchored on the other side of the vamp. The relaxed length of the band is less than the length of the tube 46 so that when the shoe is ofic the foot, the elastic band gathers, i. e. puckers, or pleats and thereby shortens the tube as shown in Fig. 1. The height of the counter and the resistance to bowing of the insole limit constriction of the tube by the elastic band to a length which would accommodate a foot about two and one half sizes smaller than the upper will take when the tube is fully expanded.

It will be appreciated that when a foot is slipped into the shoe, the elastic band will give sufliciently to snugly hug the foot so that the shoe is able to tit a foot up to the maximum size as determined by the fully expanded tube. Due to the resilient top edge of the quarter and counter, the shoe is able properly to tit a foot as little as two full sizes smaller than the maximum size. When the shoe is in use, the upper firmly but gently grips the foot below the ankle, and during Walking the rim ofthe quarter and counter will expand and contract to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the distance along the foot from the heel to the instep thus doing away with the uncomfortable feeling caused by an ankle or instep strap and at the same time preventing the shoe from slipping off the wearers foot or heel.

It will be understood that the ability of the shoe to accommodate different sizes of feet is not only a result ofthe elastic upper edge but also of the large free portion of the insole inasmuch as if only the upper edge were elastic and the insole were stiff, the bottom of the rear part of the upper could not accommodate itself to feet of different lengths.

It further will be appreciated that an elastic upper edge of the quarter and counter cannot by itself hold the heel and shank of the shoe on the foot, it being additionally necessary to have the rear of the outsole free and flexible.

The overall effect of the free rear flexible portion of the insole and the expansible rim of the quarter is to make the shoe feel as if it were non-existent. The wearer is not aware of the weight of the dangling heel and feels as if she were walking in stocking feet.

Attention is directed to the manner in which the piece 40. of leather extends from side to side of the quarter underneath the insole, thereby reducing the amount of labor` and material required in the fabrication of the shoeand preventing said piece from creasing, wrinkling or loosening from the insole.

It thus will be seen that I have provided a shoe which achieves all the objects of my invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

AS various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A shoe comprising an outsole including a fore portion and a broad shank portion., a heel secured to the outsole, a flexible insole including a fore portion, a shank portion and a heel portion and having its fore portion secured to the fore portion of the outsole and a front part of its shank portion being free of the heel and outsole,

and an upper including a vamp having its side edges secured to the insole and outsole, said upper further including a supple quarter secured to the free portion of the insole, the top edge of the quarter being resiliently expansible.

2Q A shoe comprising an outsole including a fore portion and a broad shank portion, a heel secured to the outsole, a llexible insole including a fore portion, a shank portion and a heel portion and having its fore portion secured to the fore portion of the outsole and a front part of its shank portion secured to a front part of the shank portion of the outsole, the heel portion and the remainder of the shank portion of the insole being free of the heel and outsole, and an upper including a vamp having its side edges secured to the insole and outsole, said upper further including a supple quarter and counter secured to the free portion of the insole, the top edge of the quarter and counter being resiliently expansible.

3. A shoe as set forth in claim 2 wherein the quarter and counter constitute a single piece of material which extends beneath the free portion of the insole.

4. A shoe comprising an outsole including a fore portion and a broad shank portion, a heel secured to the outsole, a flexible insole including a fore portion, a shank portion and a heel portion and having its fore portion secured to the fore portion of the outsole, a row of rnechanical connectors extending transversely across the shank of the shoe and anchored to the ladjacent portion of the insole, the part of the shank portion of the insole in front of the row of mechanical connectors being secured to a front part of the shank portion of the outsole, the heel portion and the remainder of the shank portion of the insole being free of the heel and outsole, and an upper including a vamp having its side edges secured to the insole and outsole, said upper further including a supple quarter secured to the free portion of the insole, the top edge of the quarter being resiliently expansible.

5. A shoe comprising an outsole and an upper, said l outsole having a fore portion and a broad shank portion,

a heel secured to the outsole, said upper being secured at'its fore portion and the front part of its shank portion to the fore portion and the front part of the shank portion of the outsole, the heel portion and the remainder of the shank portion of the upper being free of the outsole, said upper including a vamp having a supple quarter, the top edge of which is resiliently expansible.

6. A shoe comprising an outsole including a fore portion and a broad shank portion, a heel secured to the outsole, an insole including a fore portion, a shank portion and a heel portion and having its fore portion and the front part of its shank portion secured to the fore portion and the front part of the shank portion of the outsole, the heel portion and the remainder of the insole being free of the heel and outsole, and an upper including a vamp having its side edges secured to the insole and outsole, said upper further including a supple quarter secured to the free portion of the insole, the top edge of the quarter being resiliently expansible.

7. A shoe comprising an outsole including a fore portion, a broad shank portion and a heel portion, a heel overlying the outsole and secured thereto, said heel including a rear portion and a tapered shank portion, an insoie including a fore portion, a shank portion and a heel portion and have its fore portion connected to the fore portion of the outsole and a front part of its shank portion connected to a front part of the shank portion of the heel, the heel portion and the remainder of the shank portion of the insole being free of the heel, an upper including a vamp having its side edges secured to the insole and outsole, said upper further including a supple quarter secured to the free portion of the insole, the top edge of the quarter being resiliently expansible.

AReferences Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,223,339 De Liso Dec. 3, 1940 2,232,804L Rosenbaum Feb. 25, 1941 2,280,622 Brewin Api. 21, 1942 y FOREIGN PATENTS l 954,918 France Jan. 3, 1950 

